Haven (1)
HAVEN ACT I July 17th , 2016 A heavy rumble of thunder rolled through the night, filling the city with its unearthly sound. There were not many people on the streets to witness the full extent of the great din, but there were those few night dwelling citizens who heard the roar that rattled every window in the city as the cry of some mighty stygian beast. High above the city, on the ledge of a most ordinary building, something moved. The form appeared to be, for the most part, human. Slender legs paced gracefully back and forth along the narrow precipice, hands with delicate fingers and well trimmed nails swayed at her side, and soft wet hair fell on slim shoulders and encircled the face of an enchantress. Most people that looked on the face of this woman saw what they wanted to see, but few saw her for the monster that she was. Sarah crouched low on the ledge and scanned the city streets with hungry eyes. The storm had driven most of the citizens from the streets, but for the drunkards staggering out of bars. Sarah thought that she could do without the hangover in the morning, so she ignored these people. There had never been a time in Haven when she had had this much trouble finding something to eat. Then, like manna from Heaven, she found her dinner. In the street below her, Sarah saw a young Hispanic man brutally assaulting an elderly black lady. She dove gracefully from her perch into the night. Great torrents of rain nearly beat her out of the sky. She struggled to find her way to the ground without fumbling in the air, and crashing to the street. After a few moments she adjusted to the monstrous wind and weather regained her usual grace. The man never saw her coming as she swooped down upon him. She grabbed him tight about the shoulders, picked him up, lifted him about ten feet into the air, and flung him back down at the asphalt. He hit the ground with a powerful thud. Sarah dove back at him with a hunger burning in her stomach. She was surprised, though, when the man sat up. This attack normally left her victims either terribly dazed, or completely unconscious. He rolled out of her way causing her to crash harshly into the street. She stood up in time to see the young man running at her. Sarah stepped back into the shadows and waited. As she expected the man came after her. Sarah threw out a fist that landed sharply on his forehead, denting it a little. He fell to the ground and did not move. Sarah bent over him, ready to feed. She then remembered the woman that she had saved. She looked up at the woman that was staring at her with a look that stood somewhere between fear and admiration. "Go," Sarah said softly. She heard the woman mutter "Thank you," as she ran away. After the old woman was out of sight, Sarah slashed the man's throat and began to drink deeply from the incision. * * * * * * * * Martin walked slowly through the streets of Haven. The sun would be up in little less than an hour, but he was in no hurry to make it to his lair. The sun would have been a pleasant thing to see, even if it was searing the flesh from his bones. He knew, though, that his vampire instincts would not allow him to destroy himself. Besides, he had heard that there were worse things than vampires in the world, and some of those things were the result of suicidal vampires. He did not know if he could bear to be in a worse position than he was in now. The rain had stopped a few minutes before Martin had started for his lair, and the predawn was beginning to lighten the sky. He did not like the part of the city that he was in. It was Jenny's prowling area, and he could do without seeing her. Most vampires considered her harmless, but they avoided her anyway. He did not like to be around her for the simple reason that she gave him the creeping horrors. Martin did not fit well into the vampire society of Haven. He considered most of the vampires to be nothing more than murderers, but Jenny made all the others look like innocent children. Before he could even finish the though of how much Jenny frightened him, she was there. She had jumped down from a fire escape above Martin's head, and she was giving him a look that made goose bumps rise on every inch of his dead flesh. Her hair was wet and brown instead of the usual dark blonde that he was so used to seeing. She was not unattractive, just extremely unnerving. Her blouse was covered with large brown stains that could be nothing other than blood. "You're pretty far out of your territory, Martin." She poked a sharp-nailed finger at his chest. "You know that's not very good for your health. It's a dangerous city." Martin shivered at her quiet threat. He had heard that some of the other dark denizens of Haven suspected Jenny of murdering other vampires, but there was no proof. She was what the night dwellers referred to as a hemoholic. It was a bit of a joke to most, but it was a very serious problem. Jenny was addicted to human blood. People like Jenny usually ended up being burned by the dawn while in search of that one last victim. "I was just on my way home," he said. "Seems that it is passed your bedtime, nursling." If it had been anyone else, Martin would have protested her derision, but he held his tongue. The term "nursling" referred to fledglings that were too green to kill on their own, and had to take blood from their masters to sustain themselves. It was a stage that Martin had outgrown long ago. "I really must be going." Martin tried to keep the fear from seeping into his voice, but he could not help but sound like a frightened child. "I suppose that if anything were to happen to you I would have Sarah on my back in a heartbeat." Martin suddenly hated this woman more than usual. Her outright mockery was enough, but suggesting that Martin was still some fledgling that could not leave his master's side was too much. He had been a vampire for fifteen years, and that put him at the level of Novice. That was the time that vampires were on their own, and their masters stopped taking responsibility for their fledglings' actions. "I honestly don't know how Sarah would react, but it's up to you to take the chance." Martin gave a wry smile. "I do have other friends, you know." "I don't care about your flesh-friends, or your wraithen Angelique." Martin was growing tired of this conversation and the sun was rising fast. "There are others, but you would not care about them either." "So, the stories of Angelique's friends are true?" Martin shrugged. He had heard that his dear friend was attached to stranger beings than vampires, and there were many creatures in Haven stranger than ones like himself. "I must go. The sun is coming, and I am far from my lair." "Run along home, nursling. I wouldn't want you to get a tan. I must finish my hunt anyway." Martin walked slowly away from her, listening closely to see if she was making any attempt to follow him. He did not hear any movement at all. She was certainly a hunter to be feared. She could move without sound and kill without a second thought. Soon Martin came to his lair. He laughed out loud at the thought of this actually being considered a lair. The large, green dumpster was squat and stumpish. It was more comfortable than a coffin, but the smell was something that could be improved upon. He had picked this particular place to sleep in the hopes that one of the many homeless wanderers of Haven would sift through the layers of garbage and expose Martin to the life-ending sun. Martin climbed into his great metal bed and began pulling trash upon himself just as the horizon began its final brightening before the sun made its daily appearance in the sky. * * * * * * * * All of the buildings of Haven were bustling with activity, and the streets were alive with people. The sun had only been down for an hour, and the citizens of Haven had not yet found their way out of the dangers of the night. Jim had completed his hunt for the night, and he was going about other, more unpleasant, business. The walls of the apartment building were slick with rain and barren of footholds. Jim climbed nervously upward toward the window that he never dared approach unless commanded to do so. His fingers slithered and gripped at the tightly drawn masonry. It would have been easier to take the fire escape, or come through the front door, for that matter, he could have even flown o the window, but Jim enjoyed the challenge. After half an hour of climbing he had finally reached the window that he was striving for. He climbed onto the sill and slowly lifted the window open by pressing his palms against the glass. Once inside he wiped the rain from his shaved head, and found a lamp on a nearby table. He reached slowly to turn it on, trying to be as quiet as possible. A would have had no idea that he was there, but one of his kind could have easily detected any foreign noise that he made. He felt a hand clasp hard around his wrist. There was a flash of pain, and he saw the dark outline of a face. This woman was so much younger than himself, and yet he feared for his life every time he was near her. Sarah had always been the rogue of Haven. Never joining in the hunts, preferring to kill only criminals, and she had even gone so far as to sire that fledgling, Martin and make him another avenging vampire. He admitted to himself that he had no understanding of the kind of honor that Sarah had. He could not, however, admit to his mind that it was something that he dearly wished to be a part of him. Jim had no fear of Sarah's only fledgling, but the woman, in the flesh, made him quiver with an excited anxiety. She was a monster among monsters. She was an exile from a community of outsiders. Her hand still rested tightly around his wrist. She could not kill him. She was not powerful enough. However, he feared for his life all the same. He felt ashamed of himself for being this frightened of someone that could not possibly harm him. She must have put off some kind of dangerous aura that terrified him to the deepest depths of his soul. Again, he could not accept that it was only that her entire personality intrigued and confused his soul. He did not know what a woman like this was capable of. "The High Ones have called a rally at the old hall. Tonight at midnight." She cocked her head at him and gave him a look that felt like it cut directly through him. He could see the outline of her face in the feeble light that washed through the open window. "What is so important that they must rally even me?" There was no severe emotion in her voice, but there was an undeniable coldness that told Jim just how much she hated him and the others. "I don't know. They are being as secretive as always, but there have been some disturbing rumors circulating around the city, but nothing concrete. Are you coming to the rally?" Jim was eager to be on his way, and he wished that she would just answer him and let him go. "Stop shaking. I don't kill my own kind. I leave such work to Vannon and Jenny." This comment did not relieve Jim's anxiety. "I will be at the old hall at midnight. Has Martin been informed?" "If he hasn't he will be soon. They said that they wanted everyone there. This matter is supposed to be urgent." "Then go and tell the rest. Let me go about my work." That was another thing Jim hated about Sarah. Feeding should never have been considered work. * * * * * * * * Humans on the street randomly stopped what they were doing to stare at the creature that ran through the crowds. The sidewalks were crowded and the roads were still filled with cars. Through all of this, though, people could still catch a flash of marble white skin and splashes of auburn hair. It looked like a wraith moving swiftly through the crowds, then ducking quickly from sight. Angelique moved like a ghost. Her skin was ashen and pale as snow. She was wrapped in a black cloak that hid her arms and legs from the people, but they could see her face and hands, and that was enough to let them know that the being that they saw was by now means normal. When she thought that the crowds were taking too much notice of her, Angelique ducked into an alley and ran through back streets to her destination. There were people there as well, but the sparse lighting in the city's darker areas hid her from sight better the spotlights created by the towering streetlights on Haven's capital streets. It had been too long since she had made this journey, and her heart beat with excitement. When vampires reached Angelique's age it was amazing if their hearts beat at all. She let out a girlish giggle when she came to the ugly green dumpster at the end of the alley. She leapt onto the lip of the thing and looked down into the refuse. There were an almost comical pair of feet protruding from the trash. She crouched down and lifted an old newspaper to reveal the peaceful sleeping face of Martin. She smiled down at her slumbering friend. It had been far too long since the last time that she had smiled, and she welcomed this renewal in her happiness. She loved this man more than anything else in her life. "Wake up, my sleeping friend," she said to him quietly. At that he opened his eyes and looked up at Angelique. He jumped to his feet, nearly slipping on the refuse and wrapped his arms tightly about her. "Angelique, where have you been?" "I decided that I would serve the High Ones for a bit. My service was required for longer than I had anticipated. I'm sorry that I haven't been around to see you lately, but I did have Vannon check in on you from time to time." "It was a nice sentiment, but I would prefer that he stayed as far from me as possible." Angelique understood the venom in his voice. "So what are you doing here?" Martin raised his eyebrows at her and waited for her answer. He hoped that she would say that she would say that she had just come to visit him, but hopes like these were seldom answered. "The High Ones are summoning everyone to the old hall for a meeting tonight." "What kind of meeting?" Martin had never trusted the High Ones. They just had the feel of dishonesty about them. "I don't know," she said. "They are being as cryptic as ever. All I know is that it is supposed to be very important. You really should come. It might improve your standing in the Society." "What's wrong with my social standing?" Martin knew where this was going, but he was always willing to anything that Angelique had to say. "Sarah is not exactly a high standing member of the Society, and that reputation has now fallen to you. Some people might see it as a good sign if you attend this rally." "You know that I will be there, if for no other reason than the fact that it was you that asked me." He did not like to give in to the popular opinion of Haven's dark society, but he knew that he could never say "no" to Angelique. "It begins at midnight. Everyone is supposed to be there. It is a matter of great importance." "That's less than two hours away. I must begin my hunt. Would you like to come with me?" Martin knew the answer to this before he asked, but it was a matter of being polite among vampires. "You know that I would do anything to be with you." She gave him a wry smile. "Anything except that." Angelique was over six-hundred years old, and she had only fed three times in all those years. After killing her first few meals and seeing the horror that was involved, she gave up killing forever. Martin often worried that this would cause some dangerous side-effects, but it only kept her from gaining any of the vampire abilities. Her skin was ghostly pale, and she looked very frail, though she was not. Other than those two harmless results, she appeared to be just fine. "I understand," said Martin. "Well, I will see you later at the rally." He kissed her on the cheek and bolted off into the night. Angelique sighed and moved out of the alley and began her trek through the human crowds back to the old hall. * * * * * * * * Stephanie sat in the darkest corner of her favorite restaurant, and waited. Dark and beautiful she stood out like finely sculpted statue in the back of the restaurant. It was twenty minutes until midnight, and the human population of Haven would be her own private meal until morning. She had no plans of attending the meeting in the old hall. She was the oldest vampire in Haven, and she had no interest in the concerns of the others. It was time for her game, and she would not give it up for the tired ramblings of the self appointed High Ones. She had spotted a perfect meal that had just walked through the door. He was tall, lean, and frighteningly handsome. He had a few words with the host and was shown to a private table. Stephanie concentrated on the young man for a moment and began to pick up some of his surface thought. Business. He was a boring man for the most part. She started to dig deeper into his mind. This was where the fun usually began. She saw college years when he was buried in books and homework. Always the honor roll student in high school. Below all of the garbage, though, there were memories that were more fun. Stephanie saw the face of a little girl, no more than five, wearing a pink and white dress, dancing on someone's lawn. This man still loved this girl that had been his childhood playmate. She liked this about him. The rest of his mind was strangely blocked off to her. She had encountered this before, but it always shocked her when it happened. Usually, she could see everything that the subject had ever experienced. She furrowed her brow and tried even harder to find the most hidden parts of his mind. She could still find nothing. This man interested her even more now. She stood up and walked to the table. "Hello Gregory." She smiled at the man's shocked expression. "My friends call me Greg." Impressive. He was a man used to surprises "My name is Stephanie. May I join you?" She sat down in the chair across from him. "Of course, Stephanie." She tossed her dark hair from her shoulders with a shake of her head, and smiled a dark smile at him. She watched as he ate his meal. Later, she would have hers.
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